Motor-vehicle lock



l. DE MARTINO. MOTOR 1VEHICLE L OCK. APPLICATION FILED ocr 2. |919.

UNITED sTArnsinrENT OFFICE.,

JOSEPH DE MARTINO, OF'CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNR '.KO SIMPLX CORPORATION,

` 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

. Speciilcationof Letters Patent.

MOTOR-VEHICLE LOCK.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

- Application led October 27, 1919. Serial No. 333,475.

To all whom z't may concer/n:

Be it known that I, 'JOSEPH DE MARTINO,

a subject of the King of Italy, residing at This invention relates to means for lock ing motor vehicles so that they can not be readily .driven Aand is 4particularly applicable to the steering wheel.

The objects of this invention'are to provide means -which may. .be readily applied to variousforms of automobiles or motor vehicles,-v`to lock the 4same to prevent unauthorized driving thereof; to provide' means whereby the 'steering wheel n iay' be locked outof operativeY engagement with the v.steering post; and in generalto provide such an-imprpved lockin-gdevice as will be de-' scribed more *fully hereinafter.

In the accompanying `drawing illustratino| thisinventioniz" Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 2 is a. cross sec-tion taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 4

Fig. 3 is a cro'ss section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l; and l A Fig. 4 is a detail of-the locking bushing'.

AS shown in these drawings, 5, represents the steering column commonly employed in ivarious makes of automobiles and 6 is the rotatable shaft for operating the steering mechanism. The steering wheel 7 is com-k monly attached directly to the shaft and held against rotation by means of splines 8 or the like. In 'accordance with this invention, vI re` move the steering wheell and replace the same by a collar 9 which haskey-ways forv engagement with the splines 8 so that it can not be rotated on the shaft.` This collar is' further.l held by means of a nut 10 on the threaded end of the .shaft 6. The lower portion of the collar 9 has outwardly extending lugs or projections 11, the outer edges` of these projections being threaded vfor engageinent by a threaded cap 12.

A cylindrical sleeve or Wheel supporting" member 13` fits within the cap 12 and has .slidable and rotatable engagement with the ollar"9. The sleeve 13 has an upwardly gctcnding stem 14 which is preferably .formed integrally therewith and is proin Motpr! Vehicle l21, this bolt being j feri'ed lock23 by vided with splines 15 corresponding with the splines '8 so that the wheel 7 may be fitted overl the stem and will be prevented from rotating thereon. The wheel is held by means of a nut 16 on the threaded end 17 of the stem 14. A Y

` The sleeve oi' wheel supporting` member 13 has one or more downwardly extending teeth "V or projections 18 which are adaptedY to fit in. between the projections 11 on the collar 9. The sleeve 13'is also provided with two annular peripheral grooves 19 and 20 which are adapted to be engaged by a locking bolt cut away at 22 so that when it is turned in one position, the sleeve 13 may slide freely in the cap 12. The bolt 21 is provided with any ordinary or premeans of which it may be locked in adjusted position. liasa shoulder 24 at its upper end which engages withv a flange 25 .on the cap 12 so that the sleeve can not be withdrawn from the cap. i

The steering wheel 7 is shown in Fig. l in raised position, inwhich position it is The sleeve 13 disengaged from the shaftv 6 so that it may I it is Adesired to return the saine to normal position, the bolt 21 is turned so as to permit the sleeve 13 to slide downwardly whereby the teeth or projections 18 will engage with the teeth or projections 11. The bolt 21 may then be turned to engage with the groove 19 to lock the wheel in operative position.

4llt will be seen that, by means of this arrangement, I provide a simple 'attachment which may be readily applied toniany types of motorvehicles without'changing or alter ying any of'fthe standard parte 'of the steering inechanismof such vehicles. Furthermore,

`.the device f niay be made very compact and [strong so that; it can not be forced into operl l lative position ivitlioht substantially destroy'- ingthe same.

' Having thusdescribed my invention, what yI claim and desireto secure by Letters Patlent is:

1'. The combination with the steering shaft offa motor vehicle, of a collar adapted projections, a cap engaging with said projections, -a cylindrical sleeve fitting between the cap and collar and having teeth for en- -to engage the steering post having radial 1 gagernent with said projections, a' stemon said sleeve and means for securing the steerg ing wheel to said stem.

2. An automobile locking device comprising a collar adapted to engage with the steering post-and having one or more out wardly extending projections, a cap engaging with-said projections, a cylindrical sleeve fitting between the cap and collar and haviing teeth for engagement with said projections, a stem extending upwardly from'said' `sleeve and adapted to receive. the steering wheel, said sleeve having two annular peripheral grooves, a locking b olt mounted' in said cap and adapted to engage withsaid "grooves for locking the sleeve in operative and non-operative Ositions."

3. In an autoino'ile lock, the combination with the usual steering post,- of u collar secureclto the upper-endof the post in the place of the steering wheel, said collar having' outwardly extending 'pro'ectios' at its lower end, a cap4 having threat 's for engage-- nient with the :correspondingly threaded portions of sfa'idf projections and hav' a ilange at its upper end, a cylindrical mem er fitting-between thel cap and Collar and hav.

` ing projections adapted to engage with the projections' on the ycollar when said member,

is in lowered position, ,'said sleeve having an 3Gl integrally formed stem corresponding with the upper end of the steering post, a steerl' ling Wheel engaging with' said stemz means ably fitting between the collar and cap and 45 prevented from removal by said flange, saidi sleeve havin projections for engagement with the proJeotions. on the collar when the sleeve is in lowered position but adapted to be disengaged from'said projections when 50 the sleeve is in raised posltion, said sleeve having two peripheral grooves, a rotatable bolt mounted in said cap and adapted to `engage with :the grooves for holding the sleeve in raised or lowered position, a lock` l55 y:for Said bolt, and a steering wheel vcarried by said sleeve.

'. JOSEPH DE MARTINO. 

